Townsend Corridor Improvement Project
Project Introduction
Construction is complete!
Townsend Street has one of the richest mixes of travel modes of any street in San Francisco. 4th and Townsend, along with the regional Caltrain Station and the soon-to-be-completed Central Subway light rail, is the nexus of this corridor as visitors, residents, workers, shoppers and travelers converge there daily. Thousands of people an hour access this regional transportation hub by bicycle, by foot, by rail, by shuttle bus, ride-share vehicle, taxi, personal vehicle, or by one of the eight Muni bus routes on Townsend. Throughout this project we have worked with the local community to design and build an efficient and safe Townsend Street where all modes of travel are separated into comfortable and intuitive spaces from 3rd Street to 8th Street.
Safety elements on Townsend between 3rd and 8th streets, including new walkways, a transit bulb, bike lane, sewer upgrades, and more are now complete. We’ve also installed new bicycle signals at 4th and Townsend that improve the flow of people and vehicles through that busy intersection and painted the bikeway green.
Project Timeline
Project Status
- Completed
Bus Routes and Rail Lines
Neighborhoods
Streets
Townsend Street
The SFMTA focused on Townsend Street as it is a corridor of high demand due to the density of residents, bicycle use, proximity to Caltrain, and lacked a physically protected bikeway. Townsend Street between 4th and 8th streets is a part of the Vision Zero High Injury Network, where 43 collisions involving people biking occured on the corridor in the five years between 2012 and 2016.
The poor quality of the street, including the lack of sidewalks and inadequate pavement conditions, made this street feel unsafe for all users. The area is undergoing rapid population and employment growth, with many development projects already underway. This project was specifically designed to make near-term improvements to the street in advance of the planned excavation of Townsend Street as part of the Downtown Rail Extension Project.
Contact Information
Cameron Beck